Adjustable iron cabinet-box for electric-light-wiring cut-outs.



J. GQFISHER. ADJUSTABLE IRON CABINET BOX FOB ELECTRIC LIGHT WIRINGGUT-OUTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1911.

Patented July 8, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIOE.

JAMES C. FISHER, OF DENVER, COLGRADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE NEVJENGLAND ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A COBEORATION OFCOLORADO.

ADJUSTABLE IRON CABINET-BOX FOR ELECTRIC-LIGHT-'WIRING CUT-OUTS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JABIES C. Frsnnn, acitizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and countyof Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and usefulAdjustable Iron Cabinet Box for Electric-Light-"Wiring Cut-Outs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

lvly invention relates to improvements in adjustable iron cabinet boxfor electric light wiring cut-outs, and the objects of my in ventionare: First, to provide a telescopic or adjustable iron box for holdingelectric wiring cut-outs, that is adapted for use on walls particularlyplastered walls, and that is pro vided with a. cover portion arranged toextend beyond the box onto the finish of a wall, and cover up theaperture in the wall in which the box is placed, and in which the coveris so arranged that it can be opened without contacting with the finishof the wall. Second, to provide a simple adjustable iron cut-out holdingbox provided with an adjustable entrance rim portion that is providedwith a cover, and that is so arranged that it permits the cover to be adjustably set evenly and flush against the finish or outside surface ofwalls. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of the parts constituting the improvedbox detached. Fig. 2, is a horizontal sectional view through a portionof a partition wall, showing the box in position. Fig. 3, is aperspective view of a portion of the door of the box, showing moreclearly the recess in which the hinge fits when the door is closed. AndFig. 4, is a sectional view through a portion of the door.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body portion ofmy improved cut-out holding box for plastered walls. This body portionof my improved box is preferably made of sheet iron, but may be made ofcast iron or of other suitable metal or material. This body portion ofmy improved cut-out holding box is adapted to be secured either in brickor wooden partitions of residences and other buildings in the course oftheir construction, without its Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 10, 1911.

Patented J uly 8, 1913. Serial No. 659,590.

cover and adjustable outer rim portion, before these walls areplastered.

In Fig. 2 the box is shown in a lath and plaster partition, and ineither case a board 2, is placed and secured in the partition, and thebody of the box is secured to the board by screws 3, that are insertedthrough its bottom into the board, and the body of the box is set in aposition as near as can be determinedthat will bring its front openedges in a position to permit its telescopic rim portion 4: to beadjusted, so that the flange portion 5 of its telescopic rim portion 4will be flush with the plaster, and so that its cover will close andlock against the fiange portion 5, and at the same time either bearagainst the finished plastered wall, or very close to it.

The ends and the sides of the body of the box are formed withsemi-detached disks 6, which 1 term knock-outs. These knockouts areformed by first stamping nearly through the metal, with a circular stampor punch, thus producing the flat circular projections, which are againpressed back flush with the face of the metal, and remain in thissemi-detached condition until such time as the box is to be inserted ina wall, when the disks are knocked out, and the pipes that carry thecircuit wires, which I do not illustrate, are extended into them intothe inside of the box.

The body of the box is preferably made three inches deep, but can bemade of any depth desired, and it is adapted to hold circuit wirecut-out switches, which I do not illustrate, but which are securedwithin it against its bottom plate. The opposite sides of the body ofthe box are provided with guide clips 7, which are secured at theirlower ends to the sides, preferably by rivets. The upper ends of theseclips are bent outwardly and substantially parallel with the sides ofthe box, far enough to form a guide space between each clip and the sideof the box, of ample width to permit the adjustable rim portion of thebox to fit loosely behind them, when it is inserted in the open end ofthe body of the box.

The telescopic rim portion of the body of the box comprises a squareshaped band portion 8, which is preferably made of strips of wroughtsheet iron secured together in any suitable manner, but may however bemade of any other suitable metal or material. This band shaped rim ismade of just enough smaller diameter than the side ends of the bodyportion of the box, to slip slidably inside of them and down theirinside surfaces, and this band shaped rim portion is deep enough toextend to the bottom portion of the guide clips, when its outer edgeportion is about even with the outside edge of the body of the box,which gives an outward extension movement to this telescopic rim portionof about a half of an inch, which is sufficient to compensate for theunevenness in the position of the body part of the box and itstelescopic rim and cover portion, when adjustably set flush against thesurface of the plaster. The outer edge portion of this band shaped rimis provided with a flat flange portion 5, which forms a seat for a door10, while the band shaped rim and the flange form the two members of anangle iron and this angle iron shaped extension part of the box providesa stiff firm unyielding extension member of great strength, which is anessential requirementto secure durability and permanency of adjustment,while the flat level surface of the flange prevents dust from readilyworking into the box. This flange portion is provided 011 one side witha pair of hinge strips 11, which are riveted or otherwise secured to thetop edge of the flange of the rim. These hinge strips extend outwardlyat right angles from the flange and rim a short distance, which distancemay vary from about a half of an inch to about an inch, and they extendsubstantially parallel to the flat top portion of the flange, and attheir outer ends a hinge eye 12 is provided, which is turned upwardly oroutwardly from the top surface of the hinge strip, so that the center ofits eye is above the top or outer surface of the hinge strip. Thisflanged rim portion is provided with a pivotally hinged swinging coveror door 10, which consists of a flat smooth piece of sheet iron ofenough larger area than the adjustable telescopic rim to extend aboutthree-quarters of an inch to an inch over and beyond the body of therim, and the body of the box all around its sides and ends. One side ofthis cover or door is provided with hinge eyes 14L, which are pivotallyhinged by pins 15 to the hinge eyes of the flange of the rim. It isessential that this door lie down flat all around against the topsurface of the flange of the rim, in order that it may fit down tightlyagainst the top surface of the flange of the box, and make a tight andsubstantially dust-proof covered box, and in order to accomplish this,it is necessary that the door at and adj acent to its hinge eyes beprovided with depressed recesses 16, which are arranged to register withand fit over the hinge strips, and are made deep and long enough tocompletely close the entire length and width of the hinge strips andpermit the door when swung down against the flange of the rim to lieflat and evenly against the whole of the top surface of the flange, andin order to secure the door tightly against the flange of the rim, Iprovide it with a lock, which comprises the pivotal stem 17, that isrotatably mounted to extend through the cover close enough to the rim topermit a button 18, which is secured to the inner end of the stem, to beturned under the adjacent edge of the flange, and a butterfly thumb nut19, that is secured to the end of the stem that extends beyond theoutside of the cover, and is arranged to permit an operator to turn thebutton to lock and unlock the button to the flange, and thus to the rim.The band shaped rim is thus arranged to be inserted inside of the bodyof the box and to extend into the space between the clips and the insidesurfaces of the sides and ends of the box, and to be moved slidably andtelescopica'lly in and out of the body of the box between the guideclips and the inside of the body of the box, and in order to secure therim in adjusted positions, the upper end portions of each of these clipsare provided with set screws 20, which are threaded through them atright angles to the adjacent sides of the body of the box, and itsextensible portion, which are arranged to extend into and through theclip from the inside central portion of the box so that when the rim isproperly adjusted in the body of the box, a short screw driver can beinserted through the door way of the rim, and the screws turned andtightened against the rim, and thus secure it rigidly in its adjustedposition, after which the door is closed and locked.

The installation and the operation of my improved iron cut-out holdingbox is as follows: The body of the box is roughed in, without the door,and is left that way. The electrician then puts in the cut-outs andwires the building, and the body is left in the wall with the cut-offinstalled, and the wiring done, until the lathing 21 and rough coat ofplaster 22, and the finishing coat of plaster have been completed. Theplastering is generally of uneven thickness, at two or three andsometimes all of the corners of the body of the box, owing to thesurface of the board against which the body of the box rests; and alsothe thickness of the lath and plastering work is often uneven.Consequently the plastering projects from about an eighth of an inch toabout a quarter of an inch beyond the edges of the body of the box, andthe electrician then takes the rim portion and inserts the rim in thebody of the box telescopically behind the clips,

and adjustably secures it to the body of the box by the set screws witha screw driver inserted into the body of the box through the door-way inthe rim, the adjustment requiring changes until the door when closed andlocked bears evenly all around against the plastering and at the sametime bears tightly against its flange.

My invention presents a simple and practical iron cut-out holding boxespecially adapted for the walls of buildings and particularly plasteredwalls.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In a cut-out or switch box, the combination of a body portion havingan open front end, a rim portion having an introverted flange adapted tofit within the open end of said body portion, locking plates within saidbody portion, and means for clamping said flange between the sides ofthe body portion and said locking plates.

2. In a cut-out or switch box, the combination of a body portion havingan open front end, a rim portion having an introverted flange adapted tofit within the open end of said body portion, locking plates fastened atone end to said body portion and having forwardly extending offsetportions, and screws in said offset portions adapted to clamp theintroverted flange between the sides of said body portion and saidlocking plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. FISHER. lVitnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. TOWLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

